


The Contestant

by Harper44



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Flirty, Horses, M/M, judge rhett, rider link
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 06:09:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26468479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harper44/pseuds/Harper44
Summary: Rhett McLaughlin is a reputable judge for equestrian show jumping. He's unbiased and fair, except when it comes to the most beautiful horse and rider he's ever seen.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin & Link Neal, Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 88
Kudos: 81





	1. Chapter 1

Rhett looks down at the information on the next horse and rider as the last one exits the arena. They didn’t do so well and Rhett feels bad for them, but he’s nothing if not accurate with his job. The first thing that catches his eye on the scorecard is the name of the horse: Biscuits. That’s an odd name for a horse at this level of competition, but he puts two and two together when he sees that the rider is also the owner. This is one of the lower levels of horse shows he judges, but he takes it seriously all the same. Privately, he loves these shows a lot more than the big ones because of their down-home family feel. Though majorly pretentious himself, he appreciates the non-flashy style of the people here. 

Charles Neal is the name of the owner and rider of Biscuits, and Rhett is intrigued to put a face to the name. He’s ranked around the middle of the pack for this show jumping course, which is relatively difficult. His musings are cut short when he looks up to watch the contestant enter the arena. First, he’s blown away by the beauty of the horse itself. All the horses he sees are well groomed and beautiful, but Biscuits is a stunning chestnut brown that gleams in the sun, black mane shimmering in waves where it falls across his neck. 

For the first time in his judging career, Rhett thinks the rider manages to look more gorgeous than the horse. His jacket is tailored to perfection over broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Even from this distance, Rhett can see bright blue eyes flash from under the visor of his helmet whenever he looks towards the judges’ table. Rhett holds his breath as he starts the course. The way he moves with and controls his horse is incredible, almost like animal and human know each other’s next moves before they happen. 

Rhett flinches as the horse leaps over the final jump, snagging the rail and making it fall. Shaken out of his trance, Rhett scribbles his scores onto the card, very aware that it’s the least thorough score he’s ever turned in. As the most beautiful horse and rider he’s ever seen exit the arena, Rhett picks his jaw up off the table and internally curses Charles Neal for being that good looking and for having a horse that gorgeous. It simply isn’t fair to the other competitors.

The next time Biscuits and his rider return to Rhett’s field of vision, he’s more prepared. A little more sweat trickles down his back than usual, but he holds it together through the round, judging horse and rider pretty harshly. When they leave again, he’s still thoroughly impressed, though now admiring Charles’ fantastic technical ability more than his appearance.

He judges Charles Neal twice more throughout the rest of the day, both times increasingly more engrossed in his talent and his ass. After the competition is over, Rhett loses his suit jacket and tie in order to carry out a private tradition of his. He grew up around horses and rode some when he was young. When he gained his staggering height, he knew he wouldn’t be much use as a rider, so he switched to the technical side. He misses the stables on the show grounds and the comradery of the performers. So, he sets out towards the stables on foot with hopes of finding a sense of nostalgia and perhaps a particular rider. 

The sound of hooves on gravel is familiar and relaxing. He admires a few ribbon displays and chats with some people who recognize him. He spies the rump of a horse tied up to some stables and thinks the back of the animal is handsome enough to see the front, so he rounds a couple of trucks and finds the nose of the horse. Immediately, he recognizes it as Biscuits and grins at his victory. He glances around for Charles, but doesn’t see him right away, so he pets Biscuits on the snout, muttering, “You’re such a pretty boy.”

“Ow!” comes a groan from inside the stable. “Biscuits, you’re too pretty to be this stupid.” Rhett laughs silently at the man on the other side of the wall. “Honestly, that’s something my ex would say to me,” the man says more quietly, “At least I didn’t get my salt lick covered in crap!” Rhett can barely hold it together now, eyeing Biscuits like they both know his owner is ridiculous. “What am I saying?” Charles says, now talking to himself rather than his horse, “I’ve never had a salt lick. If someone overheard this, they’d think I was crazy.”

Rhett’s now full on covering his mouth, trying not to reveal his presence. He’s mostly composed and his attention is back on the horse by the time the stable door swings fully open and Charles Neal walks out, indeed far too pretty. Rhett practically gapes at him, hair tousled like he just took his helmet off, strands falling on his forehead, too small t-shirt showing off tan and muscular arms, and jeans way too tight to allow him to blend in with this crowd.

“Oh, Mr. McLaughlin!” Charles says when he realizes who he is.

Rhett closes his mouth and holds out his hand, “Call me Rhett. You’re Charles Neal, correct?”

The man shakes his hand with a firm grip and Rhett can’t help but notice his long, narrow fingers. “Yes, I am. I go by Link. I see you’ve met Biscuits.”

Rhett smiles and forces himself to let go of Link’s hand, “Yes, I have. I was impressed by him when you rode today, so I wanted to come see for myself. Aren’t you the owner and rider?”

“Yeah, that’s me,” Link says with a proud grin, “Bought him when he was a colt and I raised and trained him myself. We worked hard to get here. Honored to meet you, by the way.”

“Oh, thank you. I could never do what you do, honestly,” Rhett says. Link grabs a brush while they talk and starts rubbing down his stallion. The judge watches the muscles in his arm work and tugs on his collar, feeling a little warm.

“Why not?” Link asks.

“Hm?” Rhett hums, momentarily forgetting his previous statement while he’s lost in the tension of his new acquaintance’s back muscles. “Oh, well, six feet and seven inches doesn’t really go well with horseback riding.”

Link glances up at him with a heart stopping smile and eyes bluer than the sea, “Oh, yeah, makes sense.”

“You’re a very good rider, though. I was impressed,” Rhett says, his own terminology throwing him into a fantasy of Link riding things other than horses.

“Thank you, though I’m sure you say that to all the contestants you see in passing,” Link says with a laugh as he puts away the brush and picks up a comb for Biscuits’ mane. Rhett notices that the man’s hair is about the same color as the horse’s and thinks they couldn’t be a better match for each other.

“I really don’t, actually,” Rhett says with an awkward chuckle, running a hand through his hair.

Link looks up at him, slightly confused, but then his face shifts into a smirk and he winks, making Rhett forget how to breathe, “A secret between you and me, then.”

Rhett swallows, forcing out another laugh. He’s left to wonder where in the world all his judgey confidence has gone because right now he feels like he’s in an embarrassed heap at the feet of the most attractive man he’s ever seen. Said man has just grabbed a hoof pick and he comes around to Biscuits’ front where Rhett is standing. Without a single word, he bends down to pick up the horse’s foot, practically shoving his ass at Rhett as he does his work. It’s all Rhett can do to swallow a strangled moan at the sight of this man’s ass in those impossible jeans. 

The judge lets out a sigh when he finally moves on to the other hooves and remains standing there even though they aren’t speaking, almost like he’s waiting for something but he doesn’t know what. At last, Link is done taking care of Biscuits, so he unclips him and leads him into his stall. Rhett smiles when he hears him cooing to the animal and wonders what he’s going to say when the rider returns.

The decision is made for him, because Link holds out his hand, “Nice to meet you, Rhett.”

“You too, Link,” Rhett says, scrambling for something else to say.

Link runs a hand through his hair, looking to the side before he meets his eyes again, “Would you like to grab a drink? Or is that against the rules, gettin’ a drink with a contestant?”

Rhett has no clue if that’s in the rules, but damn the rules if it means this Greek god of a man will spend time with him. “I’d love to get a drink.”

Link smiles crookedly, “Great! I know a good local place down the road.”

Once he’s in his car, preparing to follow Link, Rhett rests his forehead on the steering wheel and tries to collect himself. This man is going to be the death of him and he’s okay with that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett's crush persists.

Getting a drink with Link was nice and Rhett doesn’t stop thinking about it for weeks. Rhett has to leave town the next day and he completely forgot to ask for the man’s phone number. He likes to think they flirted a little, but he also can’t tell if Link is just naturally flirty. All he can do is hope that they’ll meet at another show. 

Indeed they do a month later and Rhett’s crush hasn’t diminished one bit, in fact it has grown. He found Link on twitter and instagram soon enough after hanging out to follow him, but not soon enough to be creepy. From there, he deciphers that Link is single and trains horses. The photos of him with the animals are jaw dropping and Rhett shuts off his phone real quick after finding them for some semblance of self control. 

Biscuits and Link do a near-perfect run on their first round and Rhett is struggling to score them properly. His heart stops as Link turns to head out of the arena and levels a wink and a smirk at the judges’ table. He knows he turns bright red and Mrs. Gloria, the judge next to him, bores holes into the side of his head with the curious look she gives him.

He’s eating lunch in an area reserved for the judges when he hears a familiar voice that sends tingles down his spine. “Mrs. Gloria! It’s so good to see you!” He turns to find Link hugging his co-worker.

“How are you doin’, honey?” Mrs. Gloria asks.

“I’m great, several good runs today. My Silvia did amazing.”

Rhett’s brow creases at that. Maybe he judged the man’s social media incorrectly. A wife? Daughter? Girlfriend? He tries to recall if he remembers the name from a scorecard, but that’s when Link sees him and the trainer’s face lights up with a smile. “Rhett! How are you?”

They share a warm handshake, “I’m well. That was a great ride earlier.”

Link’s smile only widens, “Now, I don’t know if you’re supposed to be sharing compliments like that in here.”

“Judge’s discretion,” Rhett says.

“Now, how do you two know each other?” Mrs. Gloria asks, setting a hand on Link’s arm. “This boy was haulin’ hay and clearing stables up until a few years ago. I know that was never your scene, Mr. Rhett.”

He notices the blush on Link’s cheeks at that and how he suddenly avoids Rhett’s eyes, like the way he got here is something to be ashamed of. “My dad sure wishes he’d made me spend more time doing real work. He still says I’m not in it for real cause I just look at the horses instead of dealing with them.”

Link looks up at him, sparkle back in his eyes. “We met a few weeks ago, Mrs. Gloria, at the end of a show. That first one I rode in, remember?”

The woman nods, “Oh yes, excellent performance for your first time. You could have ridden in shows years ago, the way you work with horses, had the circumstances been right.”

“Well, they’re right now,” Link says with a small sigh, clearly wishing to get off the subject. 

Mrs. Gloria pats his arm, “Yes they are, now excuse me, I need to talk to Mr. Medows.”

She heads off somewhere else and Rhett is left there with Link who isn’t standing quite as tall as usual. He wants to say something to show he doesn’t care how much money he comes from, but he can’t think of anything that wouldn’t be offensive or weird. “I didn’t know that was your first show,” Rhett settles on, causing Link to meet his eyes again. He never wants him to look away. “Now I’m even more impressed.”

Link smiles a little, “Thank you.” He looks across the room after Mrs. Gloria as he says, “I’ve known her my whole life. My dad used to be the courier for her horses.”

“Ah, I see,” Rhett mumbles through a mouth full of food.

Link chuckles at him, “Yeah. Okay, I need to go get Silvia ready for another ride. See you around, Rhett.”

Rhett hates when he leaves, but he loves to watch him go.

This time, Rhett pays attention when the name Silvia comes up. She doesn’t have his last name, but she looks young and she’s in the 12-18 age group. She could be Link’s daughter. Rhett doesn’t care whether he has a daughter or not, but he is curious about the position of the person he has a daughter with. He judges the girl fairly, but he can’t stop himself from glancing over to where Link is standing to the side, creases in his forehead as he watches her ride. His forearms look good where they’re crossed over his chest, but he bemoans the fact that he can’t see those brilliant blue eyes because of the shadow. 

It’s so long before he sees Link again that day, he feels deprived. He’s the final ride before the end of the night. Rhett rubs the exhaustion out of his eyes as he enters the arena. He takes the course fast and confident, moving with his horse on every jump. He’s over halfway through when suddenly, there’s a loud crack through the air like a gunshot, making the audience and Rhett jump out of their skin. It spooks Biscuits and Rhett watches it like in slow motion as the horse rears up and Link holds on for a breathtaking second before the speed and force is too much and he’s flung off.

Rhett doesn’t register getting out of his seat and running toward the scene. He realizes halfway there that it’s not like he has any claim on knowing Link. The horse is still panicking as people rush over. Rhett’s the tallest person there, so he has the best change at calming Biscuits. He grabs at the reins and leads the animal away from Link’s vulnerable form on the ground. Biscuits seems to recognize him somewhat as he walks him in circles, smoothing a hand over his nose to calm his breathing. He’s barely paying attention to the horse, though, because his eyes are on Link being placed on a stretcher and carried out, a sickening streak of blood down the side of his face.

He leads Biscuits out of the arena and a young girl comes up to him, “Thank you so much for helping, I can take Biscuits.”

Rhett knows this must be Silvia, but he’s reluctant to relinquish the reins. “If you want to go with your… Link, I don’t mind taking care of Biscuits. What barn are you in?”

A look of relief passes over her face, “That would help so much, thank you. We’re in twenty-two B. My mom will be so grateful, thank you!” She says as she runs towards the ambulance.

Rhett mulls over that exchange as he walks the horse back to the barns. The girl didn’t recognize him, so she hasn’t been riding long. And Link must not have mentioned him, which he has no reason to. They got drinks once. They’re on a first name basis. Link likely has a wife and is straight, though his jean choices lead Rhett to believe otherwise. But who is he to judge?

He guesses at the process of un-tacking Biscuits from what he saw Link do and the things he remembers from growing up. The horse isn’t quite up to the standard Rhett has gathered Link holds, but he’s clean and taken care of by the time Rhett is done. He doesn’t quite know what to do with himself after that, so he goes to his car and sits there a while before ultimately deciding he’s going to the hospital.

There’s no reason for them to let him back to see him, but he’s going to try. He’s gathering his courage to go to the desk and ask when the girl and a woman a little older than him come into the waiting room. He sees the girl point at him and start bringing the lady who must be her mother over to him. “Mom, this is the guy who took care of Biscuits. I know I shouldn’t have done that, but he called him Link instead of Charles, so I figured…” The girl looks down at her feet and the woman gives him a grateful smile.

“Thank you so much for your help, I would have been worried sick leaving Silvia to put away the horse on her own and she wanted to see about Link. He just has a moderate concussion. You must be a friend, so he’ll want to talk to you. He’s still awake now. Room 307.”

“Oh, you’re welcome, Mrs…?” Rhett holds out his hand.

“Jefferson. Link is my half brother. He’s been teaching Silvia how to ride,” she explains, shaking his hand. Silvia nods.

“I see. I’m Rhett McLaughlin. Your riding today was very good, Silvia,” he smiles at the girl. Apparently he’s incapable of withholding compliments from Link Neal and anyone related to him. 

Silvia’s eyes widen, “You’re one of the judges,” she elbows her mother, “Uncle Link talked about him.”

Rhett feels a blush darken his cheeks as Mrs. Jefferson looks between her daughter and Rhett, mischievous look in her eyes similar to the one Link gets. “It was nice to meet you.”

With that they part ways, the women exiting and Rhett heading toward the patient rooms. He knocks softly on the door and receives a questioning, “Come in.”

Inside, he finds Link upright and alert in the bed, bandage wrapped around his head and sporting a black eye, but otherwise looking too pretty to be in a hospital. He smiles when he sees Rhett, “Hey Rhett, you didn’t have to come. Thank you so much for taking care of Biscuits. I was about to get testy with Silvia when she said she’d handed my horse off to some random guy, but then she described who it was and I figured it was you.”

Rhett takes a seat beside the bed, “Well, Biscuits is safe and sound.”

“Thank you.” Neither of them really knows what to say next. Link fidgets with his hospital bracelet. “Do you know what the loud sound was? I have Biscuits trained better than most, but not even a deaf horse wouldn’t be spooked by that.”

Rhett chuckles, “I have no idea. I’m just glad it wasn’t any worse for you.”

Link shrugs, “Been thrown off before. Broke my leg once. I’ll probably be riding again way before the doctor says it’s okay. It’s just part of the lifestyle.”

Rhett nods, “Yeah. Part of my lifestyle is hand cramps from writing all those zeros.”

“Well, I saved you some pain tonight since you didn’t have to fill out my scorecard,” Link laughs. 

“If I’d known you wouldn’t be in the rest of the show, I would have written my number on the card instead of a score.”

Link’s eyebrows raise at that, “Is a napkin an okay substitute?”

“Perfect,” Rhett says with a grin.

Link speaks as Rhett writes down his number, “Who said I wouldn’t be in the show, though?”

Rhett gives him an incredulous look as he hands over the paper, “You probably shouldn’t.”

“Hey, one of the reasons I bought my own horse is so I can ride when I want,” Link says with a wink, “Your job is to analyze my performance, not my health, judge.”

Rhett rolls his eyes as he stands, “Well, I’m sorry I have to leave so quickly, but I have an early morning. As much as I hate to say it, I hope I don’t see you tomorrow.”

“No promises!” Link replies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come see me on tumblr: @harper44


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link has worked hard to get where he's at.

Rhett spends the evening wondering if Link was serious about riding tomorrow, so when he receives the event list in the morning, he glances through the names. He doesn’t find “Charles Neal” and he’s mostly relieved, though a little sad that he won’t be seeing him.

He’s engrossed in the current round, brow furrowed, wondering how this person made it to this level. Hopefully, they’re just having a bad day. Rhett is having a bad day too, if he’s honest. After last night’s stress and the fact that he’s been too distracted to judge up to his personal standard, he’s being a little harsh today. All of that changes when he spots a certain someone on the sidelines at the end of the round. 

His eyes follow Link as he walks around to the gate to speak to the rider, gesturing with his hands. Rhett thinks back on the performance in light of the likelihood that Link trained the horse. It seems obvious to him now what the rider’s errors were, and suddenly he’s impressed again by Link Neal. If any other horse had been ridden like that, the run could have been much worse. 

Now that he’s aware of Link’s presence, he pays closer attention than he has before when Link is standing on the sidelines. In spite of their riders, the horses he has trained do significantly better than the others. He feels stupid for having not payed attention to this. Link is more than just a good rider. It’s in this that he trusts when his dad calls him during lunch. They talk for a few minutes before his dad gets to the thing he called to complain about. “I’ve just bought a new stallion. Previous owners called him Rain and I can see why. He’s a wild thing. None of the trainers I usually use can tame him. You’ll have to come out and see him, boy, he’s a beauty, but also a beast.”

“I know someone you should call,” Rhett offers immediately.

“Oh?” his father asks, skeptical Rhett would know of trainers that he doesn’t.

“Charles Neal. I’ll send you his phone number. I’ve judged several horses trained by him just today and they’re all impressive,” Rhett can’t help but grin. He never talked to his dad about his crushes when he was younger, but talking about Link to him even like this is a rush. 

“I’ve heard that name. I thought Charles Neal was a courier,” his dad says.

“This is his son.”

“I guess I’ll give him a call, but he must not be very old with Charles Neal as his father. I don’t know if he can handle this horse,” his dad warns.

“I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, dad. Let me know when he’s coming out and I’ll visit that day so you don’t eat him alive,” Rhett says with a chuckle. If there’s a man pickier about his horses than his dad, Rhett would be surprised. 

This time when Rhett walks around the stables, he knows he wants to find Link. Biscuits isn’t in his stall, though, so Rhett wanders more aimlessly. He finds himself towards the back of the show grounds where there are a lot less people. Movement in one of the practice rings catches his eye, so he ambles over to the fence and looks on. It takes a moment for him to recognize him, but eventually he realizes that it’s Link riding Biscuits bareback. 

He canters around the arena in a fashion that Rhett can only describe as majestic. There’s something primal about a human riding without a saddle and Link looks like he’s made for it. From where he’s standing, Rhett can hear Link speaking to his steed, urging him on. He watches the horse’s muscles ripple under his skin, watching Link move seamlessly with him, and Rhett finds himself thinking it looks like the most natural thing in the world.

It isn’t until Link slides off the horse’s back that he spots Rhett on the fence. Link leads Biscuits over and Rhett wordlessly opens the gate for him, returning Link’s brilliant smile. “I have a strong feeling the doctor told you not to do what you just did,” Rhett says as he walks beside man and horse back to the stables. 

“What can I say,” Link says with a laugh, “Sometimes I can be a little naughty and I like it bareback.”

Rhett nearly chokes on his own spit at that, so once he’s recovered, he changes the subject completely. “I was talking to someone today who needed a trainer and mentioned your name. I hope that’s okay,” Rhett says, finally risking a glance in Link’s direction. Despite the bruising and swelling around his eye, he looks attractive and happy. He chooses not to mention that it’s his dad who he referred him to. He knows the McLaughlin name carries connotations for both father and son. They aren’t known as a very accommodating family, though Rhett is trying to rectify that. 

“Oh, I don’t mind at all. That’s great, thank you,” Link says, glancing to the side to meet his eyes.

Much like the first time, Rhett stands out of the way as Link rubs Biscuits down. He can’t stop his mind from turning to Link’s bareback comment and suddenly horseback riding isn’t the only style of riding on his mind. 

“I wish I could go for a drink,” Link says once Biscuits is squared away, “But I actually should follow some of the doctor’s orders.” He winks, hand on the door handle of his truck.

Rhett wants to say they don’t have to drink, they can just hang out, but that feels like it’s over some kind of line. “That’s fine. If you want to make up for it, come by and have lunch with me in the judge’s lounge tomorrow,” Rhett says, voice much more confident than he feels.

“Okay, I will. Only if you fend off Mrs. Gloria. I’m pretty sure she still thinks I’m her stable boy,” Link rolls his eyes, but he’s grinning.

Rhett smiles back, but his stomach sinks a little. Maybe it’s not such a good idea for his dad to hire Link because Mrs. Gloria is the kind of person his family is. He reminds himself that he’s trying to reconcile that reputation, though his own record is working against him. “See you then,” Rhett finally says. 

He walks away, not without watching Link’s arms flex as he lifts himself into his truck.

Link does show up for lunch. He’s relaxed enough, but there’s a wariness about him that wasn’t there yesterday and it puts Rhett on edge. They have easy conversation and it slowly turns to their childhoods. Link talks about growing up with horses, in the barns for hours on end each day and desiring his own horse and saving up for one from a very young age. 

Rhett shies away from sharing more about himself. He never had to wish for a horse, he always had plenty of options. He likes to think he grew up around horses, but the truth is he didn’t tack up his own horse until he was eighteen. He spent his time studying the animals and the technicalities of competition. His dad took him to hundreds of horse shows of all kinds, always in the best seats, always having the opportunity to meet the judges. 

He cringes internally as Link talks about watching from the fence at shows where he was working in the barns, drinking in everything he could get. Rhett knows he has never appreciated his privilege enough. A lapse in conversation falls over them and Rhett is about to get antsy, searching for something to say, when Link speaks up.

“So it was your dad you mentioned me to,” Link says. It isn’t a question, simply a statement.

For some reason Rhett feels guilty, maybe from the differences in their childhoods or maybe just because it sounds dumb when Link phrases it like that. “He told me he has a tricky stallion. I’ve seen the horses that you’ve trained perform and I have a lot of faith in your skills because of that.” 

“Thank you,” Link says, meeting his eyes as he says it like he’s searching for the truth. He lowers his gaze and fidgets with his napkin as he says his next words. “There’s no reason for you to remember this, but when I was fifteen, I saw you at a show. I knew of your dad, of course, he had the best horses in the arena that year. I’d been picking up odd jobs back in the barns and I remember you walking back to your dad’s stables with him when I was there. Someone had paid me to clear out a couple of stalls. I overheard your dad telling you that you were lucky not to have ‘that boy’s’ task, ‘that boy’ being me. He told you ‘McLaughlins don’t clean out their own stables, they pay people to do it. People like that can’t enter shows like this, that’s just not how it works.’ Your father moved on, but I remember looking up and meeting your eyes and knowing you didn’t agree with him and from that moment on, I knew I’d fulfill my dreams, if only to prove wrong a man I idolized. I made it, but the first show a horse I’d trained was in, you were a judge. He won and I shook your hand during the photos after. I looked into your eyes, fifteen years later, and I saw your father.” Link sighs, risking a pitiful glance up at Rhett who is speechless. “I’m glad I’ve gotten to know you because you really aren’t like your father. I like you and I’m going to take the job your dad offered me, but I felt like I needed to tell you all of that before I took it. I’m gonna tame that horse because I’m good at it and I love doing it, not because I have something to prove.”

“I’m sorry,” is all Rhett can manage to say.

Link shakes his head, “It isn’t your fault. Few people in the equestrian world are still like that. I’m genuinely excited to train Rain. It sounds like it will take some work, but I love a challenge.”

“When are you scheduled to go out there?”

“Tuesday of next week,” Link says. The tension is gone from his shoulders now that he’s said his piece and he seems to be thinking of the job ahead.

“Oh, perfect, I was actually going to see my dad that day anyway. Maybe we’ll run into each other.” Rhett actually wasn’t planning that, but now he is. He knows they’ll definitely run into each other, in fact, he’s going to make sure of it. He wants to watch Link tame a horse more than anything.

“Then, I’ll see you there,” Link offers with a smile. They say their goodbyes and go their separate ways, Rhett struggling to sort through the myriad of emotions swirling in his chest.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link has nothing to prove.

Rhett lounges in the living room of his parent’s grand ranch style home. Though he appears relaxed, he’s actually a ball of nerves. His father has been going on about nothing for a while now and he only stops when a clock somewhere chimes the time. “Alright, that Neal boy should be here soon. I’m still not convinced he can do anything with the beast,” his father says as they stand and start walking down to the stables.

“I know he’s my age, but you shouldn’t call him a boy, dad. He’s a well respected trainer even though he hasn’t been doing it long,” Rhett says as they walk side by side.

“Alright, alright,” his dad grumbles. 

He leads his son to the stall where the hose in question resides. Rhett takes one look in his eyes and knows he’s still wild. “Why’d you get him, dad?” The horse is almost black, shimmer of brown coming through in the light. He looks proud and strong. 

His father shrugs, “Impulse buy. He’s well bred and I didn’t believe he was going to be as tough to tame as I was told. Probably a stupid move. Charles Neal is the last chance I’m giving the animal and then I’m selling him.”

Rhett admires the horse who almost rivals Biscuits in beauty. He thinks maybe he should tell Link of his dad’s plan so his friend can manipulate events in order to buy the horse. Any horse is honestly better off in Link’s hands.

“Thank you,” the words echo through the open air building and Rhett watches Link walk towards them, confidence in his steps. He’d been thanking the person who led him down here and now his jaw is set as he stares down the man who disappointed him fifteen years ago. “Charles Neal,” he states, holding his hand out to Rhett’s father.

“Jim McLaughlin.” They share a firm handshake before Link turns to Rhett, giving him a shake and a small smile. 

“This must be him,” Link says, walking over to the stall where the horse watches them.

“That’s the beast,” Jim says, loud and rough next to Link’s soft approach. “He won’t cooperate with a bridle and a bit is completely out of the question. None of my best men could do anything with him after hours of work.”

“I’m not one of your best men,” Rhett hears Link say under his breath. It doesn’t seem like his father heard, but he doesn’t think Link would care if he did. Without prompting, Link grabs a bridle from a hook and enters the stall, cautious and quiet. Rhett glances at his dad who’s watching intently. 

“Rhett, would you mind opening the gate to the practice arena? We’ll start there.”

His father gives him an interesting look as he goes to do as requested and when he returns, Link has the bridle over the horse’s head and is walking him out of the stable, muttering things to the animal presumably to keep him calm. 

“The tack room is to the left,” Jim says. 

“This is all I need,” Link says. He walks the horse past the two men, the elder considerably more jumpy since he’s seen what this horse can do. They follow behind to the practice arena, curious as to what will happen next. Link takes Rain through the gate and releases his hold on the bridle, switching to petting down his neck. “I recommend you stand outside the fence. If you wouldn’t mind shutting the gate.”

Rhett pulls it closed, feeling like he’s locking Link in there with a brooding bull. The horse begins to walk away from him, but Link doesn’t move. It’s like they know each other’s motives and both refuse to budge. Rain takes a few more experimental paces away and seeing that he meets no resistance, trots off to the far side. Again he tests the waters before he canters around a little, showing off his speed. Rhett is addicted to the grin on Link’s face. “You’re fast, aren’t ‘cah?” he hears Link call playfully, tone intentionally light. It goes on like that for at least twenty minutes. Once Rain has strayed away, Link talks gently to him as he draws closer and eventually he’s petting his ears and nose every time they complete the cycle. The horse doesn’t seem wild or dangerous at all. 

Link starts walking back toward the gate and Rain follows him a little, like he wants to know where he’s going. Link hops over the fence and walks back to the stables and the tack room. “I’ve never seen this before,” Jim states without emotion.

“Me either, but so far I don’t believe the horse is as wild as you say,” Rhett says, eyeing the animal. 

“Whatever he’s doing next, you’re gonna believe me soon.” Link comes back with a simple lead rope, not saying anything or even looking at the McLaughlins. It reminds Rhett of the zone he’s in when he’s competing. When he jumps back over the fence, Rain comes to investigate and Link easily clips the rope onto the bridle.

“That’s not so hard, now is it?” he hears Link say as he pets his nose. Rain walks along with him around the ring without trouble, but he is starting to seem wary of what’s going on. After several more minutes of that, Link carefully passes the rope over the horse’s back and secures the other end to the bridle to create makeshift reins. Rhett doesn’t know whether that was his true plan or he forgot to grab actual reins in the tack room, but apparently it works for whatever he’s planning on. 

Link spends some time petting his back and keeping him distracted. “I’m not payin’ him to play with it,” Jim says gruffly. Rhett bristles at that, but he has no retort because he hasn’t seen Link really do anything either, though he suspects the progress that has been made in the last forty minutes is actually pretty substantial. 

Rhett watches as his friend twists a hand into the roots of the horse’s mane and hauls himself up on his back. He’s still trying to get seated when the animal takes off, unhappy with his passenger. Even on the galloping horse, Link manages to right himself and grip the reins, squeezing with his legs to stay on. He pulls the horse’s head to the left and reduces his mad dash to tight circles. 

Rhett’s mouth is quite literally hanging open. If he thought the man was hot before, there is no question now. Dark hair hangs in his bright blue eyes and his cheeks are flushed, but he’s completely in control. Rain shakes his head and forces his way out of the circles to rear up on his hind legs. Link stays on in a masterful demonstration of his skill. It becomes clear that his fall the week before was a simple fluke; this man doesn’t make a habit of falling off. 

Rain seizes his opportunity and takes off again, quickly reined back into small circles by Link. So a different cycle begins. The horse bucks and struggles, demonstrating his speed, and Link always slows him down and controls him. The man is literally on a bronco and he stays on his back without a problem. Eventually, Rain gives up his dashes for freedom, finally realizing that he isn’t getting this human off his back. Taking him in circles around the ring, Link keeps him at a walk for a good while. 

“He’s better ‘n you said,” Rhett’s dad says, eyes on horse and man, impressed. 

“What?” Rhett asks.

“He’s better than impressive, or just good. He’s incredible and he belongs on a horse, especially one as wild as that. Was his father really a courier?” Jim asks.

“Yeah, and he’s proud of his roots,” Rhett says, defending Link even though he doesn’t really need to at this point.

“Hm,” his father muses, “Maybe stable work can get you somewhere.”

Link looks like a true native or cowboy as he nudges Rain into a gentle trot and on into a canter within a few minutes. A horse that wouldn’t follow a single command only minutes ago, now following every one of Link’s directions. 

Now he gallops in a controlled way around the ring, Link looking for all the world like he was born to do this. At last, he pulls Rain to a halt near the gate and slides off, rubbing a hand over his neck and telling him how well he did. Without even a glance at the two men at the fence, he takes Rain back to his stall and frees him of the bridle. When he emerges and faces the McLaughlins again, Rhett sees the same wildness in his eyes that he first saw in Rain’s, blue gaze like wide open western skies. He directs that wild gaze at Jim, “I know this was a test appointment, but I hope you are satisfied enough to schedule more training for Rain. We made a lot of progress today, but I need to work with him again soon if you want me to keep it up and train him. I think he’d be perfect for competition jumping. He’s nearly up to racehorse standard, honestly.”

“I’m truly impressed. You made triple the progress of any other trainers who worked with him. I’ll have someone call you to set up another appointment.” Rhett’s father holds out his hand and they shake on it. “If you’ll excuse me.” Jim heads back up to the house, leaving Rhett and Link standing there in the stables. 

Link grins up at him, “Rain is a beautiful horse. I’m kind of sorry I didn’t have the opportunity to buy him myself. We’ll get him trained up, but I don’t think he’ll ever lose his wild streak.”

Rhett is mesmerized by the man in front of him and he barely even hears himself say, “Kind of like how you haven’t lost yours.”

Link’s smile softens, “I like to think so.”

Shaking himself out of his trance, Rhett says, “Dad’ll be shut up in his office the rest of the day questioning everything he thought he knew. Come in for lunch, my mother will love you.”

Link laughs as they start walking, “Why will he question everything?”

Rhett chuckles sarcastically, “Cause he never thought the son of a courier could ride like that.”

“What do you think?” Link asks, looking over at him.

“I don’t think any other person can ride like that and I think you look really good on a horse,” Rhett says, blush creeping up his neck as he realizes what exactly he said.

Link smirks, “You don’t look too bad behind that judges’ table yourself, big guy.”

Rhett lets out a breathy laugh at that and then falls silent, pulling himself together enough to introduce Link Neal to his mother.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link comes out to Rhett, but it wasn't really necessary because of his choice in tight clothes.

Link continues to train Rain and Rhett makes visits to his parent’s house much more often than he did before. Usually, he finds himself leaning with his elbows on the fence watching Link work with the horse. Sometimes, to convince himself he’s still a professional, he employs his judging techniques while he’s watching. The truth is, his eyes are usually on Link’s thighs and calves more than they’re on the horse. The man has incredible core strength hidden in that thin waist of his, as even a couple of weeks after Link started working with him, Rain still tries to buck him off. The horse never succeeds and Rhett gets to watch Link skillfully balance to stay on, usually without even a saddle or stirrups.

Rhett observes his friend tighten Rain’s girth. This is the second time Link has tried saddling him. He’s not even trying to get on his back and Rain is throwing a fit. Rhett has yet to see him lose his patience, but he can tell he’s close today. His mouth is in a tight line and his brow furrows as he tries to calm the animal down enough to lead him around the arena. After at least half an hour with sweat dripping down his nose, Link says, “Alright, alright.” Rhett’s eyes are glued to his sure hands working quickly to remove the saddle. He slides it and the pad off, tossing them over the fence rail. 

In one easy movement, Link mounts Rain bareback and urges him into an easy walk. They come closer to where Rhett is standing and he hears Link say, “I’m not tryin’ to break your spirit, baby, we just need a little cooperation.” If Rhett isn’t mistaken, Link glances at him with a little smile as they pass. “Now, like we practiced, Rain. I know you can do this. Be good, I have someone to impress.” 

Rhett smiles, he’s the only one Link could be talking about. The trainer brings Rain up to a canter and heads straight for the fence, making Rhett’s heart race. Just when he thinks the horse isn’t going to follow through, he jumps beautifully, animal and man landing safely on the other side and not slowing down one bit. Rhett turns to lean his back on the fence and watch Link race across the pasture, hint of his laugh floating back on the wind. 

In that moment, Rhett feels like Link is so out of his league, he’s stupid to even think about it. He’s simply so gorgeous and talented and Rhett has nothing to offer him. He thinks he can safely say they’re friends now, but he’s still afraid he’s reading too much into the flirting and Link’s glances. He rides up right in front of Rhett and slides off the horse’s back, grinning wide. There’s color in his cheeks and he’s breathing hard, but there’s a laugh on the tip of his tongue.

“Not a single fault,” Rhett says, echoing his smile. Link giggles happily as they walk together to return Rain to his stall. Throwing caution to the wind, Rhett summons all the confidence his job and family name has given him as he says, “You look like you were born to ride like that, Link. Honestly, you’re a really impressive person.”

A blush floods his cheeks as he closes the stable door, looking up at Rhett with sparkling blue eyes, “You think so?”

“Yeah, I do. You could have been a knight or something,” Rhett’s compliments are spurred on by the lopsided smile it earns him.

“I don’t know about that, but thank you. I just love it, I love riding and training and jumping, all of it,” Link says as he carries the saddle into the tack room.

“You’re making me wish I could ride,” Rhett says.

Link steps out of the tack room and stands in front of him, hands on his hips, looking Rhett up and down. He doesn’t know what prompted this examination, but he isn’t entirely unhappy about it. “I have a horse you can ride,” Link concludes. 

“Really?” Rhett asks as they walk back toward the house. 

“Yeah, he’s a rescue. His name is Zeus. He’s a small Clydesdale. The breeder couldn’t sell him because he wasn’t as big as Clydesdales are supposed to be. They’re high maintenance, but I couldn’t pass it up when I heard he needed rescue,” Link says, fondness in his voice, “He’s big enough to support your weight and height. Come out and ride him, I’ll text you.”

“Okay,” Rhett says, smile taking over his features, “See you soon.” Link nods as they get in their cars and Rhett spends the ride home excited, though a small part of him wishes Link was inviting him over to ride something else.

Rhett has never been this nervous to knock on someone’s door except for that time when he was younger and royally screwed up and was told to go to his dad’s office. That was a whole different kind of nerves. Link has a decent amount of land, Rhett can see his pastures and barn as he drives up. A small one story house sits at the front of the property, looking like it was built relatively recently. There’s a swing on the front porch and a cat walks up to Rhett as he approaches to knock. “Hey there,” Rhett says, looking down at the feline, “Don’t touch me.” The cat ignores his request, rubbing up against his leg and purring like a motorboat. Rhett moves his leg away, “Uh, goodbye.” The cat persists, so Rhett gives up trying to make him go away and knocks on the door.

Link answers it a moment later, opening the door and smiling up at his visitor. As always he looks stunning, and Rhett looks him up and down, taking in his sky blue shirt, black riding pants, and socked feet. The shirt makes his eyes even more distracting than usual. “Hey Rhett!” He steps back, “Please, come in.”

“Thank you, this is a nice place,” Rhett says, looking around at a cozy couch and heavy wooden dining table. Seizing the opportunity of the open door, the cat dashes inside and onto the back of the couch. Rhett smiles at the domesticity of the scene. 

“Perfect for a bachelor, I’d say. I see you’ve met Cheeto,” Link says, gesturing to the feline as he walks to the kitchen.

“Yes, I did,” Rhett replies as he follows him, "You have an affinity for naming animals after food."

Link laughs as he washes a bowl in the sink, saying, “Anything to drink?” Rhett shakes his head when he looks over his shoulder at him. “Alright then, we’ll go out back.”

Cheeto follows them out the back door and Rhett waits for Link to pull on his boots, self conscious about everything from his height to his breathing. All the things that could go wrong with him riding a horse flood his mind as Link stands and shoots him a smile. “Relax, man,” Link says, leading them toward the barn, “How long has it been since you’ve ridden?”

“Oh, gosh, it’s been years,” Rhett says, trying to relax his shoulders. 

Link smirks up at him as they stop in front of Biscuits’ stall. “Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle.” Rhett laughs as Link brings Biscuits out and hooks him up outside his stall. They move down to Zeus’s stable and Rhett is already in awe of him. He’s brown with a dark mane and white legs; he’s a proud and sturdy horse. Rhett can barely picture himself atop this steed and it shoots apprehension through him. “Hello, Zeus. Rhett is going to ride you today, so be nice.” He speaks to Rhett as he secures the ropes to either side of Zeus’s bridle, “He’s a really gentle horse, you have nothing to worry about. He isn't gonna take off or spook.”

Rhett nods and pets his nose, getting comfortable. With all the time Rhett has spent around horses, he’s usually fine, but with the prospect of riding in front of him, he’s not so sure. “Hey, Link,” he says as Link brings out their saddles. Link pauses, worry in his eyes at the uncertainty of Rhett’s voice, “I’m excited to do this, I just wanted to tell you… like we’ve talked about our upbringings some and I know we were raised differently, but I just thought you should understand: I didn’t tack up a horse for myself until I was eighteen and soon after that I was too big to ride anyway. Like, I can tell you every minor penalty possible for stadium jumping, but I can’t even tell you the first thing about how to ride a horse for pleasure.”

Link grins, “I thought you were about to tell me you changed your mind. I saw the way Biscuits’ saddle was put away that night you helped me out, I’ve already gauged your level of experience. You’re starting to make me think I should get you to shovel some crap first, though.”

Rhett looks at his feet, “Maybe you should.”

“Hey,” Link grabs his wrist, making him meet his eyes, “You shouldn’t feel guilty for the way I’ve been looked down on by people with wealth. I know what I said about that time I shook your hand, but that was my own projection of who you were. Now I know you and you’ve treated me as an equal since day one. I’m pretty well off now myself. Doesn’t change people looking down on me for other reasons… but that’s not my point. I’ll teach you, Rhett, don’t worry.”

Rhett searches his sincere eyes and smiles, “Okay, thank you.” Link lets go of him and gets back to tacking up Zeus, situating the saddle pad on his back. “What did you mean people look down on you for other reasons?”

Link sighs like he regrets saying it, throwing a glance at Rhett over his shoulder, “I’m very gay. And I work in a world where that is not widely accepted.” 

He puts the saddle on Zeus’s back, movement lifting his shirt and showing Rhett a sliver of the tan skin of his lower back. For a moment, he imagines Link riding without a shirt and he chuckles under his breath. “I can’t relate to being discriminated against for wealth, but I can understand the feeling of doing what we do and not being straight.”

Link turns to give him a little smile before reaching under Zeus’s belly and grabbing his girth. “Let me get Biscuits ready real quick and we’ll be good to go."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rest of Rhett's day with Link. It's just really soft and flirty.

Rhett manages to get on Zeus without incident and soon they’re walking down a wooded trail at the back of Link’s property. When they aren’t talking, his eyes are roaming over Link’s waist that’s swaying smoothly with the movement of the horse. Eventually, they make it to a creek and Link proposes they take a break. 

Groaning, Rhett drops to the ground, “Damn, we haven’t been riding very long and I’m sore all up in here.”

Link throws his head back and laughs as he sits cross legged on a rock, “You have to ride every day to get rid of that.”

Rhett sits near him and closes his eyes, listening to the water and appreciating the natural atmosphere of his surroundings. “How’s your head been?” Rhett asks.

“Oh it’s been fine,” Link replies, “Headaches probably wouldn’t have been as bad if I’d waited a little longer to ride-”

“You rode literally the next day!” Rhett laughs.

Link grins, “Yeah, but when you fall, you have to get riding again as soon as you can or else you’ll get in your head about it.”

“So what’d you do that time you broke your leg?”

“Oh, now that’s a story,” Link chuckles. Rhett props his chin on his fist and motions for him to go on. “I wasn’t technically supposed to be riding anyway. My dad asked me to check a horse’s shoes and ride her once around the ring because her owner thought she was in pain. So my dad goes to replace the shoes on another horse and I’m responsible for this sweet mare. I check all her feet and don’t see anything. I can tell she barely gets ridden, so I take her out in the pasture to give her some exercise and freedom. Now I knew I couldn’t tack her up or anything because we weren’t supposed to be in the pasture anyway, so I got on her bareback. At that point, I didn’t have much experience riding like that. She stumbled and I fell. Man it hurt like hell, but I knew my dad and the owner couldn’t know I took her farther than the practice ring, so I rode her back to the stable and told my dad she was fine. The next day, I had to ride for some reason or another and when I got off the horse, my leg buckled. To this day my dad thinks I did something to it that way, but it was broken from falling the day before.”

“Good grief, Link!” Rhett says, leaning back on his hands, “You rode twice with a broken leg. That’s so stupidly impressive.”

“If the whole stadium hadn’t seen me be taken out on a stretcher, I probably would have ridden in the competition the next day. Missed my chance for finals this year,” Link says, gazing into the water.

Rhett shrugs, “Concussions aren’t to be messed with. I know you’ll make it next year.”

Link smirks, “Better not be cause I have a certain judge’s favor.”

Making a scandalized face, Rhett says, “I would never show favoritism in my work. You can qualify fair and square. I have a reputation!” Link laughs and Rhett stares at him as he smiles, incapable of keeping his eyes off the man. “In all honesty, though, the first time I watched you perform, my scores were not as thorough as they should have been.”

Link tilts his head to the side, “Why not?”

Rhett can feel his face turning red and he looks away from those intense eyes, “You’ve gotta be the most attractive rider I’ve seen in my years of judging.”

Link chuckles, “Oh, come on.”

Hesitant, Rhett turns to meet his eyes, really wanting to convey that he means it, “Biscuits caught my eye first because he’s beautiful, but seriously man, I don’t think I closed my mouth for the whole time you rode.”

Smirking, Link leans heavily back on his hands, showing off his neck and jawline, mesmerizing eyes narrowed. “What exactly had that mouth of yours hanging open?”

Rhett runs a nervous hand through his hair, clearing his throat. “I guess we’re doing this,” he says with a self deprecating chuckle, shifting his eyes down Link’s body through his lashes. “That narrow waist and broad shoulders, mostly,” he admits. 

Link grins, “Well, I was performing a little bit for a certain judge that day and I’m hearing I left him dumbfound. Who ever knew Jim McLaughlin’s son would be so damn hot and not straight.” Rhett doesn’t really know what to do with that and he can feel that he’s beet red. Link giggles at his embarrassment and moves a little closer. They sit in silence for a while, knees resting against each other, each man lost in his own thoughts. 

Their musings are interrupted when Biscuits walks over. Both of them look up at the horse and Link asks, “Yes?” Like the animal is a child. Biscuits leans down and snuffles in Link’s hair, making the man laugh and squirm away. “Okay, okay,” Link says, standing up, “We’ll go home.”

“Your horse is like a dog,” Rhett tells him with a chuckle as he walks over to collect Zeus. The bigger horse comes along obediently to the trail and waits for Rhett to get on. 

“Horses are kind of like big dogs,” Link says as he walks over to make sure Rhett makes it up. Once he’s settled, Link easily swings a leg over his own steed and they’re on their way back up the trail. “My dad swore Biscuits was too much like a pet for me to ride him in shows, but I guess I proved him wrong.”

“He’s great for competition jumping. Now, once you get Rain trained, he will be perfect,” Rhett says, mind going into analyzing mode, thinking about the gait and ability of the horses.

“No offence, Biscuits, but I would love to ride Rain in a show. He’s fast and incredibly smart,” Link says wistfully.

“What if my dad hired you to ride him? I know you train more than ride, but honestly you could make a lot riding in shows too,” Rhett says, already trying to think of how he could convince his dad to hire Link instead of one of his usual people.

“I think you just want to see me ride more,” Link teases. 

“Maybe I do,” Rhett fires back.

He’s able to help more with tacking down the horses. It’s so therapeutic to brush Zeus’s coat, smoothing over the powerful muscles. They let the horses out in the pasture and then walk back up to Link’s house. He fixes them barbeque sandwiches and they sit side by side on the back porch to eat. There isn’t much talking since they were both starving, but once both plates have been set on the worn wooden planks of the porch and their water glasses drained, Rhett has decided this was the best day he’s had in a while. “Thank you for inviting me to ride Zeus, this has been really great.”

Link turns his head and smiles at him, “Of course, you’re welcome any time. I’m glad you came to find me after that competition.”

Rhett looks into those blue, blue eyes and smiles, saying, “Me too.” He hasn’t felt this at peace in a long time. Maybe it’s just because his stomach is full and he’s sleepy, but smiling at this man he’s slowly getting to know, he doubts it’s just that. It’s not a conscious decision for either of them, really, they’re just suddenly a lot closer than they were before, lips inches from each other. 

“Can I kiss you?” Link breathes, eyelids fluttering as his gaze shifts from Rhett’s mouth to his eyes. 

“Yes,” Rhett sighs, word barely escaping before Link’s lips are on his, just as intense and soft and heavenly as he thought they’d be. Link’s fingers twist into his beard, making Rhett groan as he lifts a hand to the back of Link’s head, urging him closer. 

After several heated seconds, they break apart, resting their foreheads together. “Been wanting to do that for a while,” Link admits with a chuckle, pressing another chaste kiss to Rhett’s lips before pulling away completely. It takes all of Rhett’s willpower not to whimper at the loss of him. He collects their plates and takes them inside, but he isn’t gone long enough for Rhett to get up the courage to ask him out proper, so the moment is over when they start pulling their boots back on. 

“I’m sorry to cut this short, but I need to work with Biscuits today for the show coming up. I’ll see you then if I don’t see you when I’m with Rain,” Link says, running a hand through his hair. 

“Thanks again for the ride and lunch, Link, this was really good for me. I’ll see you soon.”

Link gives him that crooked grin and a wink, stealing Rhett’s breath away for the millionth time that day, “Can’t wait.” With that, he walks back out to his barn. Rhett is tempted to call after him and ask if he can stay and watch him ride, but he tamps down the urge, mostly due to the uncomfortable situation in his pants.

On the drive home, he begs every higher power he can think of that he gets another opportunity to kiss that man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr is @harper44


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett is an absolute goner, y'all.

The following Thursday, Rhett is back at his parent’s house, but to his own frustration, he isn’t there to see Link. A birthday luncheon is being thrown for his father and he was expected to be there, especially because everyone invited is involved in the elite levels of the equestrian business. Sighing heavily, he leans against the railing of the balcony, having just made it out of a conversation with his mother and a woman she had heavily implied he should marry. The sun blazes down on his neck, reminding him that summer is coming out in full force. 

It takes one sight to skyrocket his entire mood. A horse is galloping through one of the farthest pastures, headed for one of the closer fields or practice rings. The closer the horse draws, the easier it is for Rhett to identify his rider. Link rides Rain bareback through the pasture, shirtless and grinning with a cowboy hat on his head. That’s all it takes to make Rhett smile too. He’s trying to think of how he can politely get out of this party when Rain comes to a halt. Link slides off his back and starts rubbing his nose and neck, looking from Rhett’s distance like he’s speaking to him. The rider steps away and Rhett can imagine the laugh he gives when Rain starts rolling around in the grass. Link climbs up on his back a minute later, but before riding the rest of the way to the barn, he looks up and scans the balcony. 

Rhett hopes he isn’t too far to recognize him, but then his attention is drawn to the fact that he isn’t alone out here when he hears laughter to his left. He turns to find two young women giggling between themselves as they watch Link, whispered words of how attractive he is floating back to Rhett. He would never admit he’s jealous, but that is the thing that convinces him to get out of here. 

He tosses his suit jacket and tie into a guest room and starts walking toward the barn, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows. The grin on his face is ridiculous by the time he reaches the practice ring where Link is. He’s trying to get a saddle on Rain when Rhett walks up to the fence. Eyes glued to Link’s flexing back muscles, he doesn’t say anything at first. “That ride looked like fun,” he finally comments as Link adjusts the stirrups. 

Link laughs, tossing that gorgeous grin over his bare shoulder and tipping his hat in greeting, “It was. Rain was getting restless and so was I. Hopefully, that satisfied him enough to be good about the saddle today.” He says the last part pointedly to the horse. Rhett grins, admiring his tanned skin that’s shimmering with sweat, as Link talks to the stallion, “I know you hate the ring, but you also hate the saddle. You gonna be good enough to take this in the pasture today where you’re happier?” Rain doesn’t answer, but Link must be satisfied with the look in his eyes, because he mounts the horse, drawing Rhett’s eye to the muscles of his abs and sides. “Easy, now. Hey, Rhett, mind opening the gate for me?”

“Not at all,” Rhett does as asked, looking up at his friend as he passes. “You could pass as a real life cowboy, Link.”

Link laughs, running his fingers over the brim of his hat, “Gotta pay homage to the gay cowboys who went before me. It’s my lucky hat. Get tired of the socialites?” Link asks.

“I’m always tired of the socialites. And there were some girls up there talking about you, so I thought why not come down here to see the show up close,” Rhett responds with a cheeky grin. 

To Rhett’s surprise, Link places a hand on his shoulder to keep from falling, sweeping off his hat with the other, and leans down to give him a warm and lingering kiss. “I hope they like plot twists,” Link murmurs against his lips before prompting Rain toward the field. 

Dazed, Rhett sits on the fence rail, feeling like a proper damsel from a western movie and wishing just a little bit that Link would sweep him off his feet so they could ride into the sunset together. Whatever those girls thought, Rhett knows he likes plot twists.

That evening, after the guests and Link have gone, Rhett sits in the living room with his father. He figures now is as good a time as any for Rhett to try and persuade him of something he's not particularly going to like.

"Dad, Rain will probably be ready to ride in shows next season. I was thinking it might make sense for you to hire Charles Neal to ride him," Rhett says, Link's real name feeling strange in his mouth.

His father gives him a look, "Son, your friend or whatever he is to you, is a very good trainer and it turns out it was good for me to hire him. But just because you know him doesn't mean I can continue to give him work when he isn't the best man for the job."

"But he is the best man for the job," Rhett argues, "You only watched him that first time. He's fantastic in the arena. I would recommend him from a professional standpoint."

"Then why isn't he qualifying this season?"

Rhett sighs, searching for a way to explain what happened, "His horse spooked from a loud noise, it could have happened to anyone and you've seen how he stays on a horse, not even the literal best could have stayed on for how unexpected it was." He watches his dad think for a moment, wondering if he's convinced. "At least watch a tape of him or ask him to run a course for you to observe. It will be worth your while."

"Alright," Jim reaches for a newspaper on the side table, "No more professional talk. It's my birthday." His mouth quirks up in a smile and Rhett smiles back, all his faith in Link.

“Hey, Rhett,” Link says over the phone a few days later. Rhett can’t even give a greeting before Link is speaking again, “You told your dad to hire me to ride Rain, didn’t you?”

“I told him he might want to watch you ride before deciding who he wants for Rain next season,” Rhett says innocently.

“So you’re why I’ve been dragging poles around all morning to set up an appropriate course to be observed,” Link huffs.

Rhett laughs, “You could have said no.”

He hears some shuffling on the other side of the line, “Well first of all, how in the world do you expect me to say no to your father? And second, how could I say no to Rain?”

“Can I come out to watch?”

Link sighs in fake exasperation, “And there’s another thing I couldn’t say no to.”

Rhett chuckles and takes a deep breath, “Would you want to come to my place after? I’ll fix dinner and we can either celebrate or I can redeem your faith in McLaughlins.”

Laughing, Link replies, “It’s a date. See you Friday.” Nothing can wipe the smile off Rhett’s face for the rest of the day.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A soft finale.

Rhett is thinking about the pot roast sitting in a crockpot on his kitchen counter when he knocks on Link’s door for a second time. Cheeto hops up onto the front porch and starts rubbing against his legs, yelling like he’s trying to tell him something. “I don’t know what you want, Cheeto,” Rhett says to the feline, knocking on the door again because no one answers. Cheeto walks over and sits on the edge of the porch, staring at him. “Stop that, it’s creepy,” Rhett tells him with a smile. When Link doesn’t answer after the third knock, Rhett gives in to the cat and follows him around the house. He quickly sees that Link is in the ring warming up Biscuits, so Rhett ambles down to the fence, eyes never leaving the man. 

“Rhett!” Link shouts happily when he sees him, quickly trotting over. Rhett doesn’t even have a chance to say hello before he’s talking a mile a minute, “Your dad should be here soon. I’m gonna run the course. Mind giving me pointers?”

“Not at all,” the judge says, patting Biscuits’s neck.

With that, Link’s off to the start. Rhett watches him square his shoulders and take a deep breath. He rushes to pull his phone out and time him since that’s something his father might do, barely having time to press the start button as Link takes off. All of Rhett’s physical attractions aside, it’s a beautiful ride. 

“How was that?” Link asks, out of breath.

“It looked great. Careful on the second and sixth jumps, Biscuits was off on the wrong foot. My dad likes efficiency and full control which you’re great at. Your time is good and you’ll probably end up going a little faster when you do it for him, anyway,” Rhett says, ticking off mental checkboxes. Link nods, petting Biscuits and catching his breath. “Now that I think about it, he’s gonna ask for my honest score since I’m here.”

Link grins and winks, “I always welcome your judgement. Lemme run it one more time. I know Biscuits is sick of this.” Rhett watches him do it again, allowing himself not to go into judge mode and just enjoy the man and his horse. 

Sliding off of the horse, Link leans against the other side of the fence from Rhett. Both men watch Jim McLaughlin pull into the driveway and make his way toward the ring. “You have no idea how much I want to compete on Rain,” Link says.

“You’ll get to. My dad likes you despite himself,” Rhett promises.

Link gives him a look, “Doesn't mean I don’t have to work for it. Good luck kiss?”

Rhett happily obliges before Link takes all of his attention off of him and places it on the man whose favor he’s trying to win. It isn’t long before Link is back on Biscuits and Rhett is crossing his fingers behind his back. “Now, I want your honest analysis, son,” Jim says as Link squares up to the first jump, “Give me your best technical eye.” Though Link will likely end up being faster on Rain, Jim McLaughlin pulls out his stopwatch like Rhett thought he would. “Whenever you’re ready!” He shouts across the ring. Link takes one deep breath and starts, determination on his face and fire in his eyes. This round is even more impeccable than the previous two and Rhett finds himself grinning as Link’s halfway through with only one fault. He finishes beautifully and Rhett resists the urge to applaud.

Rhett can tell by the look on his face that he knows how well he did and he gives him a thumbs up when his dad isn’t looking. With complete honesty, Rhett tells his father what he saw and how a run like that would have been scored. Link takes Biscuit’s saddle off and lets him out in the pasture before offering the men a drink. 

They have sweet tea on Link’s back porch, Rhett and Link doing most of the talking while the older man makes his decision. Once his glass is empty, Jim says, “That horse you rode today is currently the only one you ride competitively?”

“Yes, sir,” Link answers, “The only reason I didn’t finish out this season was because of an unfortunate accident.”

“And this was your first season to ride in?”

“Yes sir, but horses I’ve trained have been in shows and won awards for several years now. I do have to note that there is an advantage to a trainer-rider, especially with how temperamental Rain is. I can easily train him to be ridden by someone else, but if you want him to do well in this first season, I would recommend having me ride him,” Link explains. 

Jim stands up, so Link does too. The older man offers his hand, “I would like for you to ride Rain in the upcoming season. I expect the both of you to be competition ready as soon as possible.”

Link takes his hand, wide grin on his face, “Yes, sir.”

Rhett says goodbye to his dad and then the two younger men are left alone on the back porch. Before Rhett realizes what’s going on, Link has him by the collar and is pulling him into a messy kiss. “I guess it’s a celebratory dinner, then,” Rhett chuckles as they part.

“Sure is,” Link says, already on his way back to the barn, “Let me clean up a little and shower off, then I'll drive over. I’m starving!” Rhett smiles at his retreating back, excited for what the night will bring. 

Rhett’s heart is beating in his throat when he answers the door and he could swear it stops when he opens it to find Link in a black button down on the other side. The top couple of buttons are undown and his hair is swept back from his face. Rhett grins down at him and steps back so he can come in.

“Wow, it smells delicious!” Link says, following Rhett to the kitchen.

“It’s pot roast, been cooking all day,” Rhett says, reaching for drinks, “Wine? I have beer too.”

“Wine is great, thank you,” Link says, settling himself at the table. 

Rhett hands him a glass and raises his own, “To your success next season.”

Link smiles, “I’ll always drink to that.” Rhett serves their plates and soon they’re engaged in easy conversation. 

With more wine added to their glasses, they move to the living room. Rhett quickly decides he very much likes the image of Link relaxing on his couch. It isn’t long before empty glasses are on the coffee table and both men are subtly leaning forward, still talking amicably. 

Looking far too often at Link’s lips, Rhett at last asks upfront, “What are you looking for in this?”

Link looks away from him to think, corner of his mouth quirking up at his words. “A relationship if you’ll have me, a friendship if you won’t,” Link says, fixing Rhett with the intense gaze of his blue eyes. 

“I’ll have you,” Rhett says, barely a whisper.

Just like that, Link is on him, kissing through a grin. That’s all that needs to be known about that evening, except that Link stayed the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Some bonus scenes in the future are not entirely impossible...

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my tumblr! @harper44


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